93.35% of Vietnamese population participates in health insurance

On July 1, the Ministry of Health held a rally to celebrate the 15th anniversary of "Vietnam Health Insurance Day" July 1, 2009 - July 1, 2024.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that it has been 15 years since the Prime Minister decided to take July 1 every year as Vietnam Health Insurance Day.

Minister of Health speaking at the event.

Health insurance is an important social security policy of our Party and State, a public financial mechanism in the field of health care, for the goal of fairness, efficiency and development in caring for, protecting and improving people's health.

With the orientation of implementing universal health care and health insurance coverage, all people are managed and provided with health care; are guaranteed equality in rights and obligations in participating in health insurance and enjoying health services, Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW of the 6th Conference of the 12th Central Executive Committee issued on October 25, 2017 clearly stated the following goals:

By 2025: Health insurance participation rate reaches 95% of the population. Out-of-pocket expenditure rate of households for health care will decrease to 35%.

By 2030: Health insurance participation rate is over 95% of the population. Out-of-pocket expenditure rate of households for health care is reduced to 30%.

According to the Ministry of Health, the number of people participating in health insurance is increasing. As of December 2023, there were over 93 million people participating in health insurance nationwide, reaching a coverage rate of 93.35% of the population.

Notably, in the context of the economy and society being greatly affected by the Covid-9 pandemic, this rate proves that health insurance has become a need of social life, awareness of the significance of participating in health insurance has been raised, the quality of medical services and health insurance services meet the satisfaction of participants, and the efforts of the entire political system in ensuring social security in general and health insurance in particular.

The quality of medical examination and treatment under health insurance is increasingly improving. People have access to modern medical technology services and many new, highly effective medicines, helping many people overcome illness and serious diseases.

The health insurance fund is always balanced and has a surplus, becoming a basic financial source serving the operation of medical examination and treatment facilities, protecting the finances of health insurance participants when they are sick and need examination and treatment. The health insurance policy has ensured the principle of risk sharing among health insurance participants.

Some key issues in health insurance policy are continuously studied, evaluated and have appropriate solutions such as: developing health insurance participants; benefits of health insurance participants; medical examination and treatment organization; payment methods for medical examination and treatment costs; appraisal, management and use of health insurance funds and issues related to the organization and state management of health insurance.

Thoroughly understanding the role and importance of Health Insurance - considering this an important political task contributing to the implementation of social security policies, ensuring social progress and equity, according to the Minister of Health, in the coming time, the Ministry of Health will continue to coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to focus on implementing a number of tasks and solutions.

Firstly, continue to thoroughly understand the role of Health Insurance as one of the important tasks in the work programs of Party and government agencies.

It is necessary to continue to promote propaganda work; maintain and sustainably expand the number of people participating in Health Insurance, especially participating in Family Health Insurance, striving to reach 95% of the population by 2025, and over 95% of the population by 2030.

Second, continue to improve laws, mechanisms and policies on health insurance, especially policies to support health insurance participation for workers, their relatives and vulnerable groups. Review to ensure that no subjects are left out, and implement health insurance coverage for all groups in society.

Third, focus on researching and gradually expanding the scope of benefits for health insurance participants, especially benefits to help prevent and treat diseases early and remotely to meet the needs of care, protection and improvement of people's health, and calculate and propose appropriate contribution levels to ensure the balance of the health insurance fund.

Fourth, continue to promote administrative procedure reform, facilitate people's access to health insurance and medical examination and treatment services; enhance the application of information technology in management and implementation; share and use information effectively among medical facilities.

Fifth, improve the quality of medical examination and treatment, especially at the grassroots level. Focus on training, fostering, and improving the quality of human resources and facilities; create conditions for private hospitals to participate in medical care and treatment using health insurance, contributing to reducing the burden on specialized hospitals and minimizing waste.

At the same time, urgently complete the mechanism for managing bidding, purchasing, and using drugs and medical equipment in a cost-effective, efficient, and transparent manner.

Innovate the method of payment for health insurance examination and treatment costs in a suitable manner between medical examination and treatment facilities and social insurance agencies, ensuring publicity, transparency, and avoiding waste; improve the effectiveness of health insurance appraisal work to ensure good control of health insurance examination and treatment spending, while protecting the rights of participants and medical examination and treatment facilities.

Sixth, build strict sanctions to require businesses, organizations and individuals to be responsible for paying health insurance according to the Law on Health Insurance.

Strengthen inspection, examination and strict handling of enterprises and units that evade or owe health insurance payments, and groups and individuals that abuse and profit from health insurance funds.

Seventh, promote the dissemination of health insurance and social insurance policies and laws so that each citizen, enterprise, organization, agency, and unit understands the benefits, responsibilities, and rights to proactively and actively participate in health insurance. At the same time, issue timely and synchronous directives and instructions.

Celebrating the 15th anniversary of Vietnam Health Insurance Day, with the theme "Improving the effectiveness of fund management, improving the quality of medical examination and treatment at grassroots health care", the Minister of Health believes that all leaders, civil servants, public employees, and workers in the health sector and the social insurance sector will continue to promote the good tradition, strive to overcome difficulties and challenges, unite, join hands, and strive to excellently complete the tasks assigned by the Party, State, and People, contributing to the goal of a rich people, a strong country, democracy, fairness, and civilization.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/9335-dan-so-viet-tham-gia-bao-hiem-y-te-d218979.html